Foster Program Coordinator - NYC

Location: Onsite - New York City (Soho)

Hiring Range: This position is anticipated to pay between $21.74 per hour to $23 per hour, depending on experience.

We are on a mission to Save Them All by 2025! We are looking for people to join our dynamic team at the New York City Lifesaving Center and help us save the lives of cats and dogs. Our Coordinators play a direct role in achieving our mission by providing the important administrative support necessary to run a successful foster program as well as hands-on care for animals. Whether that be finding a foster home for an animal, providing routine medical care, such as vaccines, medication, and microchips, or cleaning up after the animals while they wait to go to their foster home, no two days are alike! If you enjoy a busy day-to-day, love caring for cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies, and are passionate about providing volunteers with exceptional customer service, then this is the perfect opportunity for you! 

Position Summary:

Coordinators are responsible for the daily functions and growth of lifesaving outcome programs in New York including adoptions, transports/transfers, and foster care of animals in our program locations. They act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. While this role includes responsibilities in all outcome-focused programs, coordinators may receive intensive assignments in a particular program, based on organizational needs. 

Culture Statement and Responsibility:

We value attitude over aptitude, and we treat Kindness as a discipline because it is paramount in our culture along with our other Guiding Principles. Culture is how we talk to and treat ourselves and one another, it’s how we generate and respond to change, it’s how we plan and make decisions, it’s how we do what we do.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in our everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person for the value they bring to the table. Be a role model for the spirit of authenticity, kindness, and positive influence with each other, our visitors, and volunteers as well as to the animals every day. This includes listening, being present, being supportive of others, and demonstrating compassion and curiosity in conflict.
• Promote, coordinate, and facilitate remote pet adoptions, providing superior customer service, new pet parent counseling, and post-adoption support throughout.
• Coordinate and conduct transport program operations including but not limited to animal selection, travel logistics (flight bookings, driving/driver recruitment, vehicle preparation), records management, supply management, and vehicle management.
• Develop a general knowledge of the animals in the Best Friends’ care, deliver superior customer service, assist adopters, fosters, and transfer partners by gathering information to match them with appropriate animals, arranging introductions, pet to pet meets, acquiring/providing medical records, health certificates (when necessary), follow-ups as needed or required. 
• Work directly with and support volunteers on all aspects and protocols of lifesaving care and outcome programs, including program protocols, cleaning protocols, specific animal behavior, and care, animal handling, transportation requirements and procedures, data entry, and communications with the goal of maximizing meaningful volunteer contributions. 
• Work collaboratively with Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to achieve lifesaving goals; follow Best Friends policies, procedures, and task lists for daily lifesaving outcome assignments, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.

Skills and Experience:

• Must have previous work or volunteer experience in animal welfare and/or animal handling.
• Experience caring for neonate kittens, open adoptions process, and working with foster programs is strongly preferred.  
• Ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
• Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to communicate and engage with adopters, partners, volunteers, and colleagues. Customer service experience required.
• Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; an initiative to assist in any area or process; problem-solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; the flexibility to persist until lifesaving outcome goals are achieved.
• Ability to be flexible, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize competing responsibilities based on urgency.
• Strong interpersonal and computer skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations in a positive and professional manner.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands with a “no job too big or too small” attitude.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office. Familiarity with shelter software/animal management software (ShelterLuv) preferred. Experience with data management software (Airtable) and e-marketing software (Mail Chimp) preferred.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to:
  1. Routinely lift 40 pounds unassisted and 40 pounds assisted 
  2. Perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to cleaning, lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, and bending.
  3. Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, sitting, walking, arm, and hand motion.
• Must be comfortable working with dogs and cats of all sizes, breeds, temperaments, and medical status. 
• Must be comfortable with animal handling, including but not limited to holding animals for veterinary exams, performing intake exams, conducting vaccinating and microchipping.
• Ability to manage the emotional aspect of work in an animal shelter environment with a positive and professional manner
• Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; the position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work. 

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society.  Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.